Renaissance began Beyoncé’s three-part project when it was released in 2022.
The album, officially titled Renaissance, was released on July 29, 2022. Beyoncé described it as the first act of a larger three-act project, and the album’s official subtitle is Act I.
Renaissance draws heavily on dance, disco, house, and Black queer club traditions. Its lead single, “Break My Soul,” became Beyoncé’s eighth solo number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
The album is sometimes confused with the broader name of the entire trilogy. Act II was announced as Cowboy Carter, released in 2024, while Renaissance is Act I. Renaissance won the Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Music Album and helped make Beyoncé the most awarded artist in Grammy history at the 2023 ceremony.